Prepared roofing element



July 3, 192 3. 1,460,827

A. R. PURDY PREPARED fiomrm ELEMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1921 INVENTOR. Asa R F'ard WI E ATTORNEY.

Patented July 3, 1923- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASA R. PURDY, OF BOUNDBBOOK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO RUBEROID (10., A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PREPARED ROOFING ELEMENT.

Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Asa R. Penny a eiti zen of the United States, residing at l3oundbrook, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jerse have invented a certain new and useful mprovement in a Prepared Roofing Element, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in prepared roofing elements of the kind that when laid in overlapped courses simulate the appearance of a shin led or tiled roof having spaces between its laterally adjacent shingles or tiles.

The objects of the invention are to provide elements that are self-spaeing when laid side by side in a row to form a course, that will provide gauges or guides for lapping succxessive overlying courms in such manner as to expose a predetermined extent of the surface of the elements of each underlying course, and that can be cut from a piece of prepared roofing material without waste.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described.

In the accompanyin drawings, illustrating a preferred em iment o the invention;

F1 re 1 1S a plan view of a portion of a roof aid with m improved elements.

Figure 2 is a p an view of one of the elements, and

Figure 3 is a view of a portion of a web or sheet of prepared roolin material having the lines for cutting the e emcnts indicated thereon.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a substantially rectangular shaped element composed of prepared roofing uuiterial having parallel straight upper and lower edges 2, 3, and parallel straight sides =1.- and 5. A substantially right angled shoulder or pro jection 6 extends outward from one of the sides, as the side 5. a distance equal to the extent that, the sides 4 and 5, respectively of laterally ad'acent elements are to be spuoed when laid as shown in I ig. l.

The base of the sh ulder (3 extends parallcl to the lower straight edge 3 of the ole ment and is positioned vertically therefrom a distance equal to the desired extent of cx posure of the element when partly lapped by a similar element. The bases of the 3, 1921. Serial No. 519,684.

shoulders of the elements of the underlying course accordingly provide a gauge or guide for properly laying the immediate overly ingrcourse.

he distance, measured along the side 5, between the upper edge 2 and the top of the shoulder 6 is such that if added to the distance, similarly measured. between the base of the shoulder and the lower edge 3 would be substantially equal to one half of the vertical dimension of the element 1. The vertical dimension of the shoulder itself is also equal to one half of the vertical dimension of the element.

These roportions constitute one of the characteristic features of the invention that distinguish it from the prior :1 rt.

In practice I prefer to employ elements measuring 8 by 10 inches. exclusive of. the shoulder. laid with 4 inches exposed to the weather and l inch apart. In this case the shoulder itself will he l by 5 inches, its base will be 4 inches up from the lower edge and its top will be 1 inch down from the upper edge. It is to be understood, of course, that the dimensions of the element may be varied. For example, elements measuring 8 by 12 inches, exclusive of the shoulder. and laid 4 inches. to thr weather may be used. In that case the shoulder will be 6 inches long and it will be positioned 2 inches down from tbeupper edge. In any case the position and proportions of the shoulder with respect to the vertical dimension of the element, will remain approximately constant. Elements having these characteristics may be conveniently cut from a web of prepared roofing material without any waste other than that resulting from the partly formed elements produced at the ends of the web at the start and finish of the cutting opera tion.

In manufacturing the elements I prefer to employ a Web or sheet of sufficient width to accommodate several of the elements widthwise of the sheet. Preferably, though not necessarily, I use a sheet of suflicient width to accommodate four rows of elements laid out as indicated in Fig. 3. The sheet is cut. lengthwise into four strips of equal over-all widths by means of a median straight line T extending parallel to the longitudinal edges of the sheet and two mutually imilar broken lines 8 and 9, one on each side of the median line. The broken lines are each equally distant from the median line and the proximate longitudinal edge ofthe sheet, and are of such character as to leave alternate extensions, which form the shoulders 6 of the completed elements, at each side of the out. As seen in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the broken lines are slightly ofl'set with relation to each other, the amount of the offset being double the distance from the top of the shoulders 6 to the upper edge 2 of the completed element.

The strips thus formed are each cut transverse] at equi-distant intervals by arallel straig t lines 10 to divide them into e ements of desired lengths. The distance between succeeding parallel lines 10 being equal to twice the length of one of the extensions. The lines 10 each intersect one or the other of the broken lines 8 or 9 at a point intermediate successive extensions on either side of said broken lines respectively to form completed elements each having an extension or shoulder positioned, and of the pro portions, as hereinabove described.

What I claim is:

1. A self-spacing prepared roofing element having substantially parallel straight sides one of which has a shoulder extending therefrom, the base of the shoulder being spaced from the lower end of the element a distance equal to the extent that the element is intended to be exposed when laid in overlapping relation with similar elements, the top of the shoulder being spaced from the upper end of the element a distance that added to the distance of the base of the shoulder from the lower end of the element equals one half of the length of the element.

2. A self-spacin prepared roofing element having snbsta-ntia y parallel straight sides with a shoulder pro ecting from one side intermed iate the ends, the shoulder being spaced from thelower end a distance defining the lerfth to be exposed when the element is lai the len h of the shoulder being one-half the lengt of the element.

3. A self-spacing prepared roofing element of rectangular shape having a shoulder extending, from one of'its sides, the length of the-shoulder being equal to one half of the length of the element, the base of the shoulder being parallel to the lower end of the element and being ,spaced therefrom a dis tance equal to the extent that the element is to be exposed when laid-in overlapping relation with similar elements, the top of the shoulder being spaced from the up er end of the element a distance that added to the distance of the base of the shoulder from the lower end of the element equals one half of the length of the element.

ASA R. PURDY. 

